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Regional River Gravel Management Plan

The Operative Regional River Gravel Management Plan (2110KB,
pdf) manages the effects of river gravel excavation, excluding
extraction in the coastal marine area. Sand and shingle are
minerals that are in demand for roading and industrial uses. Bay of
Plenty Regional Council has a responsibility to control the adverse
affects arising from the excavation of river gravel.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has an interest in managing the
extraction of gravel from rivers for river and flood
management. For those rivers where there are major flood
control schemes, for example the Rangitaiki, Whakatane, and
Waioeka-Otara, planned gravel removal at specific locations is
viewed as necessary to promote free passage to flood flows and for
the maintenance of the schemes. The plan seeks to protect
environmental values while providing for the maintenance of flood
flow capacities by promoting excavation from the dry parts of the
bed and limiting excavation levels to natural supply.

The Regional Council presently allows gravel extraction from
approximately 60 sites, although not all are worked at any one
time. For further information, contact a river engineer at
the Regional Council.

Statutory Acknowledgements

A compendium document Ngā Whakaaetanga-ā-Ture ki Te Taiao ā
Toi (Statutory Acknowledgements in the Bay of Plenty) to the
operative Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement and regional
plans is available. Check out the Statutory Acknowledgements webpage for
more information.

Review of the Plan

A review of the Plan was completed in April 2011. Following the
review the Strategy, Policy and Planning Committee of the Regional
Council decided (under Section 79(6) of the RMA 1991) to alter the
Plan. Work is now underway on drafting changes and will be
presented back to the Committee for approval to proceed. Comments
from stakeholder and interested parties would then be sought on the
draft plan. Following this the Committee will need to decide
whether to proceed with notifying a proposed plan for formal
submissions.

Key findings of the review

Issues with the restrictions the rules place on the quantity of
gravel permitted to be extracted and gravel extracted from wet
areas of a river

Support for incorporating the Plan into the Regional Water and
Land Plan

Planning documents for river gravel management are more
numerous and complex than they need to be

Relevant organisations such as tangata whenua, Department of
Conservation and Eastern Region Fish and Game Council seek greater
involvement in the planning of river gravel management
activities.

Other matters also raised included ownership of gravel, the
impact of gravel extraction on drinking water quality, having
regard to statutory acknowledgements and working more closely with
tangata whenua, avoiding processing duplicate consent applications
for river gravel related activities, aggradation and better
protection of tuna and significant bird nesting sites.